Gravity latch



1,585,167 G. PALMER GRAVITY LATCH Filed August 15 1925 Sheets-Sheet 1 m/e/rfan' May 18,1926. 1,585,167

C. G. PALMER GRAVITY LATCH Filed Augush l5 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 u arr srres CHARLES G. PALMER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

GRAVITY LATCH.

Application filed August 15, 1925.

This invention relates to that class of door latches, known as emergency latches and in which a vertical rod, connected to latching devices carried at the top and bottom of the door, operatesto release same, such doors being usually of fire-proof construction and arranged to automatically latch when closed.

The present invention is an improvement over my earlier Patent, No. 1,469,950, issued 1 October 2, 1923, and has as one of its teatures the provision of means to prevent the premature operation of the latching elements, no action taking place until the door is fully closed.

A further feature resides in the production of a actuated latch that may be released by mode-rate pressure applied to a rod extending across the door and at any point therealong.

Another aim is to provide a latch of the ype described that is essentially simple in construction and operation, durable and dependable in use and of moderate cost to manufacture.

These and analogous aims and objects of an important nature, that will become apparent as the description proceeds are accomplished by the novel construction and combination of parts hereafter described and illustrated in the associated drawings, constituting an essential feature of this disclosure, and in which Figure 1 is an edge view of a door shown in closed position and illustrating the application oi an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the lower latch casing, keeper and associated elements in a partially latched position.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure2.

Figure 4L is a vertical sectional view of the upper latch casing, keeper and associated elements in a partially latched position, the view corresponding with Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a rear elevational view ofthe same, the keeper being omitted.

Figure-Gisa side vie w 'of the operative parts shown in Figure 4 but an unlatched position and prevented from operation."

' Figure isi a vertical sectional View t one ot' the actuating cross bar brackets iguieS is a similaryiew of 'itheiinating bracket-and rod section therein; Referring in greater detail itogthe dr 1 iii eil ie r ei de pin 7, passing-through thebplt recess e sy e- .e

Serial No. 56 361.

ings, the numerals and 16 designate the upper and lower elelnentsof a frame or wall in the opening of which is a hinged door 17.

Fixedly secured in opposed relation in the elements 15 and 16, adjacent the door, are keepers 18 and 1.9, level with the surfaces of these members and alike in all respects'exeept that the keeper 18 has formed on its rear end a downwardly extending lug 20, its purpose further on explained.

Each keeper has a plain outer surface 21 and contains a semi-arcu'ate recess 22, closed at the side and bottom but open at the face 21.

'Midway in the height of the door 17 on its inner side, adjacent the'edge to which the hinges are attached,is fixed a hollow bracket 23 having an opening 24 in its outer face, and pivoted 'in' the bracket, on a pin 25 is a lever 26 extending at an angle outwardly and down'war dly,as shown in Figure 7, the end of the lever terminating in a hollow boss 27. i

On the inner end of the lever is an arm 28 having a stop 29 held normally against a projection 30 in the bracket by reasonof a spring 31 arranged in the bracket for that purpose.

Fixed in the boss 27 is one end of a cross bar 32, its opposite end engaging in a simi lar boss 33 on the end of a lever 34, pivoted on a pin in a similar bracket 36 secured on the opposite side of the door.

The inner end of the lever 34 is turned at an angle and formed to present a fork 37 in which is connected theupper end of a rod or tube 38, the same extending downward through an opening in the bracket, its lower end being adjustably screw-threaded into a socket 39 slidablethrough an opening in the upper wall of a hollow casing 40 having lateral base flanges 40 firmly attached to the door close to its, lower edge adjacent the keeper 19 overwhich passes as the door is swung upon its'hinges.

Pivo'ted'on a pin 42 fixed transversely in the lower part of the casing 401s a latch bolt 43, generally ,seg1nentalin contour and having a recess lain-its upper surface. This ffliolt is' provided' with a projcting stop ":45, making contact with the imaee-en1 "f -i6 oi tli'ecasing' wien the bolt is ii .llyiretracted 44:" in" the "bolt ot a lly Te formed on a connection having a stem tired in the lower end of the socket 39 by a pin 51.

Thus it will be seen that raising the rod removes the bolt 4-3 from engagement with the keeper at the bottom of the door.

The upper end of the rod 38 reaches through the fork 3i and engages a similar rod extending upward through the bracket 36 and ha its upper end arjljustably engaged in s et 53, passing through the wall of another hollow casing 54t- 'ued on the door near its upper edge in register with the lower casing 40 but in reversed position relative thereto, held by its 'langes The en'iplo of separate rods, in place of a od, enables the latch to be readily a i upon diti'erent sized doors, since the le 0 i of the upper rod may be changed by cutting off the lower end thereof. The cut end can then be easily inserted through the opening of the bracket 86.

A single red, however, can only be altered at one end or the other, after which such end must be rethreaded to attach the same to the latch.

A. further function of the two rod ar rangeinent is to allow the lower latch to en gage its keeper irrespective of the position of the upper latch. l l l 'l'his function would oe valuable should the door warp or sac and the trip mechanism of the upper latcn fail to operate.

The use of separate rods also conserves space in the packing of the latch for shipinent.

Pivoted on a pin 55 set in the side walls of the casing is a latch bolt 56, having a segmental profile coincident with the recess in the keeper with. which it is engageable, the bolt swinging upwardly through an opening in upper base wall 57' of the casing.

()n the end. of the bolt 56, opposite the pivot, are offset extensions and 59, carrying a pin (it), on which, between the extensions which constitute a fork, is pivoted a leaf 61, the same being rearward curved and part of a connection 62, having a stem 63 held in the upper end of the socket 53 by a pin G l.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that raising the rod will, through. its con nections, release the bolt 56 from the upper keeper, simultaneously with the release of the lower bolt.

In order to prevent the bolts from being moved into a latching position prior to the doorbeing fully closed an automatic stop is provided, the same consisting of a lateral lug 65 on the fork 59, the lug reaching nearly to the inner surface of the adjacent wall of the casing 5t and between the lug and hub 66 of the bolt 56 is a recess 67.

A lever 68 is pivoted on a pin 69 set in the casing 541, near its lower front corner, see Figures 1 and 6, a lower arm 70 of the lever having a projection 71 to receive a compression spring 72 abutting the casing front wall to rock the upper portion of the lever outwardly.

On the upper part of the lever is a pad 73 extending through an opening in the front wall of the casing and h ving overhanging ends T l and T5, the latter lower element acting as a stop making contact with the casing wall and the upper element 74-. being brought into forcible contact with the lug 20 of the upper heeper when the door is fully closed.

Another m 76, spaced from the pad 73 by a recess '1'? extends upwardly at an angle from the lever 68 enter the recess 67 in the swin bolt :36 when. the door is closed and the lever =38 rocked inwardly by contact of the pad against the keeper lug 20, as seen in Figure l Vheu the door is unlatched and moved away from the keeper, the spring 7 presses the lever outwardly, causing the arm 76 to t ke a position directly below the lug actin as a detent positively preventing the bolt to swing upon its pivot and extend the aga in closed.

From the foregoing it will be clear that the door will become automatically and securely latched, both at the top and bottom, when it closed and that it may be instantly released by merely pressing the cross bar 32 any point in its length, inwardly towards the door.

i ilthough l have described my improvements with considerable detail. and with respect to certain particular forms of my in vcntion, I do not desire to be limited to such details since many changes and modifications may well he made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention in its broadest aspect.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. A gravity latch comprising, the combi nation with a door and its frame, of keepers fixed in said frame at the top and bottom of the door, casings on said door having their bases disposed at the upper and lower edges of the door to register with the keepers, latch bolts pivoted in said casings to swing into and out of said keepers, rods connect- .ing said bolts whereby said bolts are moved in un on in opposite directions, a bracket on sald door into which theadjacent ends of said rods extend, and a forked lever pivoted in said bracket engaging one of said rods, said lever extending outwardly for manual operation.

. (3, as shown in Figure 6, thus auto- 2. A gravity latch comprising, the com bination with a door and its frame, of keepers fixed in said frame at the top and bottom of the door, casin s on said door having their bases disposed at the upper and lower edges of the door to register with the keepers, latch bolts pivoted in said casings to swing into and out of said keepers, a bracket on said door, a forked lever pivoted in the bracket to extend outwardly for manual operation, rods connecting said bolts whereby they are both moved in unison in opposite directions, one of said rods being connected to the upper bolt at a point at the rear of the pivot, the other rod being connected to the lower bolt at a point in the front of its pivot, and stops for said bolts limiting the movement that can be imparted to them.

3. A. gravity latch comprising, the combination with a door and its frame, of keepers fixed in said frame at the top and bottom of the door, casings on said door having their bases disposed at the upper and lower edges of the door to register with the keepers, latch bolts pivoted in said casings to swing into and out of said keepers, rods connecting said bolts whereby they are both moved in unison in opposite directions, means carried on said door, levers pivoted in said means, a horizontal bar connection between the outer ends of said levers, a spring in said means to raise the levers and rods, a fork on one of said levers, one of said rods engaged in said fork, and operative connections on the ends of said rod to actuate said bolts simultaneously with respect to their keepers.

4. A gravity latch comprising, the combination with a door and its frame, of keepers fixed in said frame at the top and bottom of the door, casings on said door, latch bolts pivoted in said casings, rods connecting said bolts whereby they are both moved in opposite directions simultaneously to engage or disei'igage said keepers, said rods being gravity operated, means for manually raising said rods, and means in the upper casing to prevent latching of the bolts until the door has been closed.

5. A gravity latch comprising, the combination with adoor and its frame, of keepers in said frame, latch casings on the door, latch bolts pivoted in said casings engageable in said keepers, manual means for normally actuating said bolts in unison, a spring actuated lever pivoted in one of said casings, said lever having an arm adapted to prevent movement of said bolts, and means on one of said keepers to tilt said lever into position to permit engagement of the bolts upon closing of the door.

6. A gravity latch comprising, the combination with a door and its frame, of keepers in said frame, latch casings on the door, latch bolts pivoted in said casings engageable in said keepers, manual means for normally actuating said bolts in unison, av lug on one of said bolts, a lever pivoted in the casing, an arm on said lever movable into and out of the path of said lug, resilient means to normally maintain said arm in position to obstruct movement of said bolt, a pad on said lever extending outwardly of the casing, and a lug on the corresponding keeper to press the pad inwardly when the door is fully closed whereby said arm is released from the bolt.

7. A gravity latch comprising, the combination with a door and its frame, of keepers in said frame, latch casings on the door, latch bolts pivoted in said casings engageable in said keepers, rods connecting said bolts whereby they are both moved in unison in opposite directions, manual means for normally actuating said bolts in unison, a

spring pressed lever pivoted in the casing,

means on said lever normally intercepting movement of the bolt, and other means on the lever to contact with a fixed stop whereby the bolts are free to engage their keepers when the door is fully closed.

This specification signed this 11th day of August, 1925.

CHARLES G. PALMER. 

